


The Charade

by AtraEris



Series: ShHiatus Bingo Prompts (Team Red) [15]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fake Dating, Fluffier than I intended, SHHiatusFlashBang Bingo, Team Red, mizzy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 20:49:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14410299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtraEris/pseuds/AtraEris
Summary: When Maia won't come to Izzy, Izzy decides to make her jealous by "dating" Meliorn. Things escalate a bit further than she intended before Maia is willing to confess her feelings.For the SHHiatus Flash Bang Bingo (Team Red)Square: Fake DatingMedia Type: Ficlet





	The Charade

**Author's Note:**

  * For [irisadler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/irisadler/gifts).



Fake Dating: from a prompt by irisadler

Jealousy, the green eyed monster. Isabelle watched from a table at the back as Maia served some customers with that saucy smile of hers. The woman had to know what she was doing to Isabelle, leaning on the bar offering a gorgeous view down her blouse, smiling and showing those perfect teeth, wearing that shirt that hugged her curves and left her shoulders bare and just begged Izzy to pepper them with kisses.

The little minx did it on purpose she was sure. Maia was the perfect match for Isabelle really. There wasn’t another that could match her charm, wit, and capabilities like Maia could. They’d been dancing around each other for ages. The comments, the looks, the banter and “innocent” touches building the tension higher and higher. But Izzy swore she wouldn’t be the one to break. 

She sauntered over to the bar, thigh high stiletto boots clicking across the floor and drawing all eyes to her as usual. Maia’s eyes started at the boots and slowly traveled up to her knees where there was a small gap of skin showing between the boots and the hem of her zip up dress. Her eyes raked upward, following the line of a zipper that was pulled open to Isabelle’s navel, a gray and black sports bra lifting her breasts and of course her trademark dark curls cascading over her shoulders. Maia unconsciously licked her lips and Isabelle smiled, taking a seat at the bar and leaning forward to give her a better view of her cleavage, she set down her empty glass.

“Seems I’ve run dry,” she said with a small smile, “Be a dear and top me off?” She didn’t let go of the glass as she tapped a finger on the rim  
Maia smiled at her, “My pleasure, Isabelle. You know all you have to do is ask.” She wrapped her hand around the other side of the tumbler, lacing her fingers between Isabelle’s in a deliberate gesture, her index finger on the rim of the glass opposite Izzy’s.

Maia tipped the dark amber amaretto into Isabelle’s glass, purposefully splashing a bit onto her own finger so that she could pull away and place the digit in her mouth lavishly. “Sweet and spicy, just how you like it,” Maia quipped before turning back to the rest of her patrons on the other end of the bar.

Isabelle sulked a little with her drink. Honestly, this was NOT how this usually worked. She turned on the charm and had people eating out of the palm of her hand. They ALWAYS came to her not the other way around but this infuriating little shapeshifter seemed to insist that she come out and ask for it. She watched again as Maia flirted and smiled at the other patrons of the bar.

“Looks like you could use some company,” a soft voice crooned in her ear. Isabelle turned to see Meliorn at her side, his voice in her ear in order to be heard over the din and music in the bar. Isabelle started to put distance between them when she noticed Maia looking her way with a scowl. This was perfect. Two could play at this game! If Maia was going to tease her with all her flirting then Izzy would fight back. She could easily turn this proximity into something intimate. She leaned her body back into the man behind her reaching up to grab the hair at the back of his neck and snuggling into his neck.

“Play along with me and I’ll owe you a favor,” Izzy murmured to him.

He hummed and smiled down at her, not even remotely trying to extract himself, rather he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him, “Is playing along, not the favor already?”

Maia stalked back to their side of the bar, her eyes focused a little too intently on Isabelle. She stopped in front of them and Isabelle pretended not to notice as she giggled at the comment Meliorn had made and then spoke loud enough for Maia to hear her. “I’m so glad you could make it mon cheri. I was beginning to think you’d skip out on our date again.” 

Meliorn smiled at her and took her hand raising it above her to his mouth and placing kisses against her knuckles, peppering his way down her arm to punctuate his words. “Ah, mon belle, if it were up to me I would never leave your side, but alas the Seelie Queen has need of me and I am but her servant.”

 

Maia cleared her throat politely. “Hey Meliorn,” she said sweetly, “Can I get you anything?”

Meliorn’s eyes didn’t leave Izzy. “As I need to make up for my lateness, please bring me a bottle of your best wine. Red. It is mon amour’s favorite.”

Maia snorted, “Actually she prefers Amaretto, but one bottle of expensive red coming up.” she smiled and walked away not looking back as she entered the backroom and they could hear the cellar door being opened as she went down for the wine. Isabelle leaned over the bar to make sure Maia couldn’t see them and then turned to Meliorn quickly.

“Listen,” she said quickly, “your goal here tonight and for as long as I ask it of you is to be my boyfriend.” Izzy explains to him. 

Meliorn’s eyes flicked to the empty doorway that Maia disappeared from. “And this is to make the shapeshifter girl jealous?” Meliorn asked. 

Izzy bit her lip, “Yes.” Meliorn shrugged. “It is not mine to question why but simply to enjoy my good fortune in the matter.” 

 

And that was how things had begun. They met at the Hunter’s Moon twice a week for “dates” cooing at each other and swapping kisses and giggles and leaving hand in hand. Izzy had dug out every alluring outfit in her closet and it had already been a month and nothing out of Maia other than sweet support and encouraging remarks. 

Izzy knew she was covering because when Meliorn would touch her, sometimes she could see Maia’s knuckles turn white on the bottle she was holding or whenever he said something about her that wasn’t true, Maia couldn’t seem to hold her tongue and had to let him know he was wrong. Her favorite color wasn’t black or red, it was blue, and she didn’t like chocolate desserts she preferred strawberry. 

After a month of “dates” Izzy was beginning to think she had the wrong idea entirely and that Maia didn’t like her at all. She confessed to Meliorn that maybe this charade needed to end. “No, no, my dear, you simply need to shake her a bit more. Push her to believe if she does not speak up she will lose her chance. Leave it to me.”

That evening when he went to pay at the register, he leaned forward and whispered something to Maia. Whatever he said, her eyes went wide and she couldn’t keep from looking over at Isabelle. Her lips set in a firm line she nodded once and handed Meliorn a card. 

He returned to their table and she looked at him curiously as he he held out her coat. “What did you say to her?” Meliorn pressed his finger to her lips and smiled. 

“Worry not, mon amour, this Saturday will be our final date and all will work as you hope. I guarantee it.” Isabelle smiled at him and linked their arms together walking out the door. For once, she didn’t glance back to make sure Maia saw them leaving together, but if she had, she would have seen the shapeshifter crack a bottle of Jack in her bare hands as her eyes followed the pair out the door. 

Friday a package arrived at the Institute for Izzy and she opened it to find a gorgeous little cocktail dress in scarlet red. The dress would hit her right at mid thigh with a cute flare from her waist like a little tutu, the top form fitting like a corset and lined with lace. The back made purely of a lace T to accent and more lace ran down the arms and around the wrists. A velvet pair of matching stilettos with rhinestone accents were also included with a note saying, ‘Wear this to our ‘date’ tomorrow.’

When Isabelle arrived on Saturday, she was surprised to see a sign outside the Hunter’s Moon reading ‘Reserved for Private Party.’ 

She went to the door and Maia opened it to let her in. She took in Izzy’s appearance, taking her jacket from her and hanging it on the hook near the door. She bit her lip and took a deep breath. She had promised she was going to keep herself out of this. If Izzy wanted to date Meliorn, who knew NOTHING about her and simply appreciated her for her surface beauty, well, that wasn’t Maia’s problem. 

Maia forced a smile and gestured towards the open room, “Your boyfriend is waiting.” she managed to say. Izzy tipped her head to the side a small smile quirking her lips. “Jealous, Roberts?” she asked. 

Maia put her hands on her hips and opened her mouth before thinking better of it and shaking her head. “Not at all Isabelle. If this is the type of relationship you want, then you and Meliorn are perfect for each other.” She turned and headed to the kitchen leaving Izzy to join Meliorn at the table set in the center of the bar. 

Meliorn had clearly requested Maia be their server and cook for the evening because she stood steadfastly nearby as they had their meal. 

Just before desert, Meliorn flashed a look at Maia and came to kneel next to Isabelle. 

“Isabelle, mon amour,” he said loud enough for Maia to hear them, “Having you by my side has brought me more joy than I have ever known…” 

Izzy’s eyes went wide, “Meliorn,” she hissed under her breath growing panicked, “what are you doing!?” 

Meliorn ignored her inquiries and continued, “It has been most unfortunate that I must travel between realms to be with you. And as such, I’ve requested and been granted permission by the Seelie Queen to bring you to live with us in the Seelie Realm. If you’ll have me, I’d make you want for nothing. You’d be free to come and go as you please, but you would spend your evenings, your nights, at home in my arms.”

Both Maia and Izzy stared at him in shock. “Meliorn, I…. You can’t be serious,” Isabelle hissed. He wrapped her in his arms whispering in her ear. “It is time for a choice mon belle. Is this a charade or shall we make the illusion a reality?”

Izzy pulled back from him and stared. She stepped back from the table, “I… I… don’t… I can’t…. “She started. “I… I need some air.” She turned and fled through the back door into the alley. This couldn’t be happening! This was supposed to be a simple exercise to get Maia jealous and now Meliorn was asking her to live with him!? She should have known better than to use a Seelie in her plan, they always had their own agenda. 

Meliorn was wonderful really. He doted on her and treated her like a princess. He appreciated her power and her abilities, things hadn’t been bad this last month, and she had to admit that his request was flattering.He’d received permission from the Seelie Queen to allow her passage to and from the realm?! That had to have been a serious request. This was way more than she had originally planned on. She took a deep breath and opened the door to return to the restaurant. She opened the door and stopped short upon hearing Maia’s shouts. 

Back inside, Maia stalked across the room grabbing Meliorn by the jacket and snarling into his face. “What’s your game Fairy?” she spat.

Meliorn didn’t ruffle, simple replied, “I simply wish to bring my beloved closer to me.” he said. 

Maia narrowed her eyes. “You don’t love her,” she insisted. “You love the idea of her. You love the irony of a Shadowhunter in Seelie territory, a beautiful warrior who could fit within your society, but you don’t know anything about her!”

Meliorn tipped his head to the side a small smile on his lips, “Do tell, then what you know of Isabelle that I don’t.”

Maia let go of him and turned to pace. “You aren’t right for her.” she insisted. “You don’t know all the important things. You don’t see all the little feelings that play just under the surface. You’re buying into her mask and if you do this to her she’ll start to become what she pretends to be. She doesn’t deserve that. Underneath all that bravado and sass is true compassion and deep caring for every creature of every race. She’s a protector. She will put herself in harm’s way again and again if it means sparing someone else an ounce of pain. And then she takes all their pain, she takes on all their burdens and their hurt and she makes them her own and she buries them deep down and covers them with eyeliner and leather and red lipstick, but they eat at her. They tear away at her. She’s a bit lost and lonely. She’s searching for something to fill that hole inside her that she can’t explain. She uses fighting and sex and adrenaline and drugs to force out feelings, to give her an excuse to act and feel things she thinks she shouldn’t. She’s so strong, but she’s so fragile at the same time.”

Maia turned back to Meliorn, “I’ve held my tongue while you two have dated. I’ve kept it to myself because it’s her decision to make, but I can’t just sit by and let this continue. I… I care too much to let you destroy her.”

Izzy stepped through the door her eyes shining with tears. “Maia,” she whispered. 

Maia turned and ran to her, wrapping Izzy in her arms. “I’m sorry,” she said seriously. “I”m sorry that I played hard to get and I pushed you to come to me. I know that isn’t how you work, I know how hard it is for you to be vulnerable and put yourself out there, but Izzy, please. Please don’t do this. Don’t go with him.”

Izzy put her hands on either side of Maia’s face looking at her with awe. “How do you get me so completely? How are you able to see everything so clearly?”

Maia smiled at her and shrugged looking down, “I guess, cause I’m kind of the same.”

Izzy turned to Meliorn, lacing her hand in Maia’s as she strode forward. “Meliorn,” she said seriously. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to turn down your proposal. I’m sorry but my heart has chosen another and I can’t pretend otherwise anymore.”

Meliorn shrugged, picking up his jacket off the back of the chair and coming to place a kiss on Isabelle’s cheek. “You win some you lose some,” he said. 

He turned to Maia and nodded. “Let this be a lesson to you little shapeshifter. If you don’t take what you want, someone else might.”

Maia’s hand tightened in Izzy’s. Meliorn left the bar, the little bell above the door chiming as he exited. 

And then they were alone. “I can’t believe you dated that creep just to make me jealous,” Maia said with a smirk. 

Izzy grinned back at her, “I can’t believe you made me go to such lengths just to get you to make a move!” 

Maia smiled at her pulling her close by her hips and hovering just close to her lips. “Oh, sweetheart, I haven’t made my move yet.” 

Izzy giggled before Maia sealed their lips in a hungry kiss.


End file.
